Egg-case.



No. 863,481. PATENTED AUG. 13, 1907 H. s. WOOD.

EGG CASE.

APPLIOATION rnmnnov. 2, 1906.

2 SHBETSSHEET,Z

INVENTOH A TTOHNEYS- HARRY SAMUAL WOOD, OF MOUNT PLEASANT, IOWA.

EGG-CASE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 13, .1907.

Application filed November 2, 1905. Serial No. 285,570.

To all whom it may concern: n Be it known that I, HARRY SAMUAL Woon, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mount Pleasant, in the county of Henry and State of Iowa, have made certain new and useful Improvements in Egg-Cases, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in egg cases, and particularly in folding egg cases, and has for an object to provide a novel construction of crate for holding eggs which may be knocked down or folded into compact form for shipping when empty, and can be readily erected and secured in position for use; and the invention consists in certain novel constructions and combinations of parts as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of the crate open, parts being removed. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the crate with the lid closed. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section of the crate. Fig. 4 is a partial end view, showing the fastening devices for holding the lid in closed position, the cover plate being removed. Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the crate at the opposite end from that shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a de tail perspective view of the crate folded or knockeddown. Fig. 7 is a detail section on about line 77 of Fig. 3; and Fig. 8 is a detail view of the latch for holding the upper side sections together when the crate is knocked-down.

The crate as shown, comprises the bottom A, the lower side sections B and O, the upper side sections B and C, the lower end sections D and E, the upper end sections D and E, the partition F, and the lid G.

The upper sections of the ends and sides are secured by hinges H to their respective lower sections so they can fold inwardly, but be rigid as against outward movement beyond a vertical line, as will be understood from Figs, 3 and 5 of the drawings, and the sides, ends and partition extend up to the same height so that the lid will rest fiat upon their upper edges when closed as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 5 of the drawings. By preference, the sides extend at their ends beyond the ends of the crate, forming guards at said ends, and also at one end a seat between which the lid G rests when raised to the position shown in Fig. 1.

On their inner faces the upper side sections l3 and C are provided with the longitudinally extending tongues I, .l' and K, the tongues I facing toward the end section E, and the tongues K facing in the opposite direction, as will be understood from Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings. The end section D, partition F, and end section E, are provided near their upper swinging ends with keepers I, J and K to receive the tongues I, J and K, such keepers being preferably formed by notching the side edges of said sections and partition as shown at 1 in Fig. 2, and securing a plate 2 over said notches, the notch receiving the tongue and the plate 2 overlynoticed their keepers engage with their respective tongues in such manner as to holdthe side sections securely in upright position, and in which position they will be locked by the lid G when the latter is adjusted to the position shown in Fig. 3, and as will be more fully described hereinafter.

The lid G is provided on its under side at its middle with a cross cleat G, and near one end with a cross cleat G the said cleats G and G abutting the end section D and the partition F near their upper ends when the said partition and end section are raised and the lid G closed, so that the lid when down will lock the end section D and the partition F in raised position, and the said lid will also lock the other en d section E in raised position by the means which will be presently described.

The lid G is slidably and pivotally connected with the end section E so it will be retained in connection with said enrl section and yet can be shifted from the position shown in Fig. 1 to that shown in Figs. 2 and 3 when desired. To this end, I provide 011 the outer side of the end section E, upright guide rods L, which curve over the upper end of the section E, and are secured at L on the inner side of said section near its top. The lid G is provided at G with eyes or loops sliding along the guide rod so the lid G can be readily shifted to its different positions. It will be noticed that the sides extend beyond the end E, E so that the top G when folded to the position shown in Fig. 1, will lie between the extensions of the sides. Alsothat I arrange guide rods L on the outer side of the end section E and preferably arrange said rods in upright grooves or channels formed in the outer face of the end section E so that the eyes or loops on the under side of the top operate within the said grooves or channels enabling the top to rest flush against the end section E when the top is adjusted to the position shown in Fig. 1. A hook G is secured on the under side of the lid in position to engage over the upper edge of the end section E and support the lid in raised position, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. I

On the end section D, I provide a latch plate M having an outwardly turned flange M at its upper end, arranged to engage with a tongue N on the free end of the lid G, and this latch plate M is secured slidably to the end section D by means of bolts M and M passing through a slot formed in the said plate and having the wings 2 and 3 parallel with each other and out of alinement, and the cross connecting wing 4, the bolts and slot wings being so arranged that when the latch plate is in the position shown in Fig. 4, it will hold the lid G closed. If it be desired to release the lid, the plate M can be swung at its upper edge laterally out of engagement with the tongue N, the lower bolt 1W1 forming a pivot and the slot wing 4 traveling along the bolt 5 M until the flange M escapes the point of the tongue N when the plate M may be shifted downwardly along the bolts to bring it flush with or below the upper edge of the section 1) so it will stand out of the way when the parts of the crate are folded as will be understood from full and dotted lines in Fig. 4 ol the drawing Fig. 1 also showing the latch plate M in its lowermost position.

In folding the crate, or adjusting the same to its knocked-down position, as shown in Fig. 6, the partition F and the upper end sections may be turned on .their hinges downwardly between the lower side sections and the end section E, and the lid G, adjusted as shown in Fig. 1., be turned down between the side sections B and C, and the upper sections be then turned inwardly with the section G overlapping the free edge of the section B, when it will be secured by the latch devices shown in Figs. 6 and 8. This latch comprises a tongue 0 on the section B, and a latch plate P having a slot formed with parallel wings P and P and a cross wing P similar to the wings 2, 3 and 4 of the slot in the plate M, so the said latch plate P may be shifted like in Fig. 2, it locks both ends and the middle part or partition in raised position. Also, that in iolding or knocking down the lid, the sides close last and inclose the other parts, and are provided with latch devices for holding the entire crate in knocked-down position. Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is The improvement in folding crates herein described comprising the bottom, the ends having upper and lower sections and hinges connecting the lower sections and adapted to permit the upper sections to turn inwardly. the sides having lower sections extending above the lower sections of the ends and also provided with upper sections and with hinges connecting the upper and lower sections and adapted to permit the upper sections to turn inwardly. the partition hinged at its lower edge to the bottom, the lid provided on its under side at one end with eyes or loops, guide rods on one of the upper end sections engaged by said loops and extending over the upper free edge of the end section whereby the lid may be shifted along the outer side of said end section or over the upper edge thereof in adjusting said lid from open to closed position and vice versa, a keeper plate on the under side of the lid and adapted to engage the upper edge of said end section, cross cleats on the under side of the lid and adapted to engage with the other end section and with the intermediate partition in the closed position of the lid, said upper end sections and intermediate partition being provided near their swinging edges at their opposite sides with notches and with plates overlying the same and forming keepers. tongues on the upper side sections to enter said keepers. a tongue at the free edge of the lid, a latch on one of the upper end sections in position to engage with the tongue of the lid, and devices for securing the upper side sections together in the knocked-down condition of the crate, all substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

HARRY SAMUAL WOOD.

Witnesses DENNIS Moaom', l. J. Human. 

